


When Everything Went Wrong

by TheKnightOfHeart



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: (Not) Low-Key Flirting, (at least on Marinette's side of things), Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Getting to Know Each Other, Slow Build, enemies au, stupid puns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-07-28 15:03:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7645864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheKnightOfHeart/pseuds/TheKnightOfHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adrien Agreste's mother died when he was just ten. Five years later, he and his father are still grieving. However, it seems like Gabriel is willing to go a lot farther than Adrien to get his wife back...</p><p>------</p><p>um, abandoned, sorry. :/</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Adrien didn't have to worry about keeping Plagg a secret from his father for very long.

Almost immediately after returning from his first battle, Gabriel had confronted his son, looking almost nothing like the professionally cold father he'd grown to know all too well. Plagg had said the mask would keep his identity a secret, but as Gabriel had said, "Do you think I wouldn't recognize my own _son?"_

Adrien didn't like to think of the "discussion" that had led him to _helping_ the akumas get Ladybug's Miraculous, but suffice it to say it was not pretty. There was yelling, crying, screaming, protests… But eventually, Gabriel got what he wanted.

No.

 _Hawkmoth_ had gotten what he wanted.

The only thing that really kept him sane was school, oddly enough. His classmates were all sunshine and rainbows, helping Adrien forget his problems, if only for a while. It nearly killed him when he had to watch his classmates get akumatized, however. Nino's akumatization was especially painful, considering the whole thing had been orchestrated by Adrien's father just the day before. Gabriel had praised his son, saying something along the lines of “You’re a very good actor, Adrien.”

Adrien didn’t _want_ to be such a good actor.

Seeing Nino the next day had nearly _suffocated_ Adrien. His friend greeted him like nothing had happened, apologizing for his crazy behavior yesterday. He even asked how Adrien was doing, spotting the sad look on Adrien's face almost immediately. Asked him if something was wrong. Swore and apologized again, wrongly thinking that this whole thing was _his_ fault.

_**I** should be the one apologizing,_ Adrien had thought. 

The guilt only got worse as Alya's Ladyblog started getting more and more popular. He couldn’t help but read each akuma report, feeling an acute twinge of guilt and anger every time he read about himself. Alya made Hawk Moth look like a supervillain, no surprise, but she also made _Chat Noir_ look like a villain, too.

Adrien didn't blame her. He _was_ a supervillain, whether he liked it or not because he certainly wasn't a _hero._

Still, there were moments where Adrien was almost _glad_ he’d gotten the Miraculous.

For one, there was Plagg.

Even though his charge was working with someone who _should_ be his enemy, Plagg was surprisingly understanding. He’d been there when Gabriel confronted Adrien the first time and provided quiet support every time after that by pressing himself into Adrien, a gentle reminder that Adrien wasn't alone in facing Hawk Moth's cold fury.

Sure, he was still sarcastic, lazy, a glutton, and sometimes even resentful about his situation. He frequently reminded Adrien that he was supposed to be a hero. That he was supposed to be _fighting_ Hawk Moth, not _helping_ him. Adrien hated when Plagg brought this up because he _knows_ he's supposed to be helping Ladybug. He just...can't.

But for as much as they butt heads, Plagg also tried to support Adrien, too.

He did things like try and share his cheese. He frequently curled up on Adrien’s shoulder and purred loudly, a warm reminder that there was someone else there who understood what he was going through, thoroughly and completely. He listened whenever Adrien had one of his frequent nightmares, cheered him up when he was down, and told him when he should "go out for a bit" when Adrien was particularly stressed since he knew that fresh air always cleared Adrien's head.

As infuriating as he could be sometimes and however much they fought, Plagg made Adrien’s double life a little easier. He made Adrien’s room seem slightly smaller. A little warmer. Less empty.

There was also the undeniable _freedom_ Adrien had as Chat.

His father kept tabs on him, but mostly through his assistant, Natalie, who was clever but didn't have the knowledge to deal with a superhero-- 

_A Miraculous wielder._ Adrien wasn't a hero.

...Anyways, Adrien was sneaky enough as Chat that the public didn’t know about his late-night patrols of Paris. Even if they did, they were frequently written off as crazy since the city's most reliable source was Alya's Ladyblog, and Alya hadn't caught him yet. No one had.

Adrien mostly just wanted to get out of his house. Away from his controlling, supervillain father and his father’s kind but nosy and blissfully ignorant staff. Running around Paris in a skin-tight leather catsuit seemed like it was the best solution. And, indeed, it was.

It didn’t hurt that Paris was beautiful by night as well.

Adrien stopped on a balcony railing to look out on the small section of the city he could see. He recognized the school right across the street from the house he was perched on and the small park with a familiar statue proudly displayed in the center.

Adrien sighed as his eyes focused on the statue. His improved vision made it easy to pick out all the small details of the statue, even from this far away when it was hours after sunset.

He indulged himself, letting his mind wander as he sat down on the railing fully. He didn’t know how long he sat there, lost in thought, before the fake ears on top of his head twitched and he tensed. His enhanced hearing had picked up the sound of movement from the house below him.

He jumped up a bit too quickly, flailing a moment on top of the railing before regaining his balance and taking out his baton to flee. He was too late, however, as evidenced by the loud gasp and crash of a ceramic watering can against the wooden floor of the balcony.

Adrien whirled around - thankfully keeping his balance this time - and held his baton in front of him in a defensive stance. His bright green eyes widened as they were met with equally wide blue eyes belonging to a short, cute girl he knew from his class.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had just caught one of Paris's biggest baddies on her balcony while trying to water her flowers.


	2. The Balcony Scene (Reenacted By Marinette [ft. Chat Noir])

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haha suffering.
> 
> Not actually. Just two awkward teenagers and a broken watering can.

Marinette was confused, panicked, embarrassed, and angry when she spotted the boy in the black leather catsuit.

She was confused for obvious reasons. What was Chat friggin’ Noir doing on her balcony at 9:23 at night? Was there an akuma about? Was he spying on her? Oh god, did he know she was Ladybug? Was that why he was here? To steal Tikki? Oh, she’d beat his ass into the **ground** if he so much as made a _move_ for her Miraculous.

She was panicked because she wasn’t transformed. If it came down to a fight, Marinette wasn’t sure she could win. If Chat didn’t have a Miraculous, she’d be able to take him, no problem. The boy looked like he weighed thirty pounds soaking wet. She’d taken down tougher opponents back when she was still in mixed martial arts classes.

But he _did_ have a Miraculous and that was the whole problem. He had a Miraculous that could turn her to dust less than a minute. She didn’t like her odds when facing someone who had a god of destruction under their thumb.

She was embarrassed for far less obvious and pettier reasons. Right now, she was wearing her pajamas - a pair of loose shorts and an old, dirty shirt she hadn’t washed for a few weeks. Her hair was probably a mess now that she’d let it out of its pigtails, her breath was probably kinda smelly since she hadn’t brushed her teeth for the night yet, and she knew for a fact that her face was probably beet red because of all that.

Finally, she was angry because Chat Noir had the _nerve_ to just show up at her house. Sure, he didn’t _know_ that she was Ladybug but that didn’t matter. He was still a working for the enemy and helping a very bad man get what he wanted 

In the back of her mind, Marinette vaguely registered the sound of her cute watering can shattering against the balcony. She would later mourn over her loss, but for right now, she had much more pressing issues to deal with. Marinette may be a bit of a drama queen sometimes, but she still knew how to prioritize. Sometimes.

Chat Noir looked like a deer in the headlights but seemed to be more...guilty?…than scared. There was still fear there, of course, but Marinette suspected he wasn't afraid of _her._ More like he was afraid of something or some _one_ else.

After another long moment of silence, Marinette decided to break the silence. “Hi?”

Chat tilted his head to the side and looked confused. “What?”

Marinette cleared her throat and said it louder, “I said ‘hi’.”

“N-no, I heard you,” Chat assured, lowering his baton a little.

“Then why did you ask ‘what’?” Marinette asked.

“Why do you want to talk to me?” he asked. “Why haven’t you screamed yet? Called for help?”

“Um…” Marinette didn’t know honestly. Maybe because she was curious about the boy who used to be her partner. Who worked beside her for two days before disappearing for a week and reappearing when the next akuma appeared only to try and help it fight Ladybug. Maybe that was why.

“I don’t...know,” she finally said. “Shock…?” The excuse sounded unsure even to her.

They both fell silent, Chat not moving but looking extremely awkward.

“I can...leave,” he finally said, moving a hand to gesture behind him.

“No, you can stay,” she said. “I just… Why are you here?”

Chat winced guiltily. “I, uh, like the fresh air. I guess I just kinda stopped here... Sorry for your watering can.”

“My what?” Marinette asked, not following.

Chat gestured to the pile of shards on the ground. “Your watering can. Sorry.”

Marinette waved him off. “It’s fine. I had my eyes on a cute owl one, anyways. Hold on, I’m going to get a brush and clean it up.”

She climbed back through the trapdoor, shutting it behind her. Tikki was on her in an instant, having heard the crash through the small trapdoor.

“Mari, what’s wrong?” she asked worriedly. “I heard the crash - are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Marinette said, climbing down her loft’s ladder. “I just got...surprised. Keep it down, though, yeah? I’ve got a visitor.”

Tikki looked confused. “On your balcony? Why would--” Her eyes darted up to the ceiling and widened. She let out a gasp, practically shrieking, _“Chat Noir is on your balcony!”_

“First off, I know that already,” Marinette said, continuing downstairs into the kitchen to grab a dustpan and brush. “Second off, I didn’t tell you _who_ my visitor is. How'd you know?”

“I can sense Plagg inside his ring,” Tikki explained impatiently. “But that’s not important! Why is _Chat Noir_ on your roof?”

“I...don’t really know,” Marinette admitted, finding the dustpan and starting back up the stairs. “He says he just wanted some fresh air but something tells me there’s more to it than just that.”

“Mari, wait!” Tikki said, flying in front of her charge to stop her. “He’s still up there!”

“Really?” Marinette asked, walking around her kwami. “I would’ve thought he would’ve left.”

“You can’t go up there!” Tikki said frantically, blocking Marinette's path again.

“Tikki, he doesn’t know I’m Ladybug. I don’t even think he knows my _name._ I’m just going to talk to him for a bit, okay? I _just_ want to know why he bailed on being my partner. And maybe some other things. Like who’s Hawk Moth. And where’s his hideout. Y’know, the important stuff.”

“Mari, while I’m all for finding out who Hawk Moth is, Chat Noir is dangerous. You don’t know his motives or reasoning. All we know is he works for Hawk Moth, who is a very bad man. Which means _he's_ pretty bad, too.”

“Yeah, but what if he’s not?” Mari asked. “Tikki, he’s _my_ age. Boys my age do stupid stuff all the time. You know, maybe he’s working with Hawk Moth because he doesn’t know any better! O-or maybe Hawk Moth is blackmailing him! Or maybe--”

“Alright!” Tikki interrupted. She sighed. “I have a feeling I won't be able to change your mind." Marinette shook her head. "That's what I thought. But if he lays a single finger on you--!”

“He won’t,” Mari said with finality. “I’ll push him off the roof before he even has the chance to activate that ring of his.”

Tikki glared at Mari. “You’re not taking this seriously.”

“I am!” Mari protested. She sighed. “I’ll be fine, Tikki, I promise.”

“If you die, I’ll kill you.”

Mari scoffed. “How?”

Tikki simply glared at her for a moment before hiding.

Mari sighed and climbed back onto the balcony. Chat was batting at her pinwheel with the sort of concentration Marinette only saw in cat videos and jumped guiltily when Marinette cleared her throat.

Under his mask, his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “S-sorry,” he said, scooting away from the pinwheel and falling into parade rest, his shoulders hunched in an attempt to make him smaller. It didn’t really work. He still looked like a sentient lamppost to Mari. Then again, anyone over 5’5” looked that way. Marinette hated being short when she was around tall people like Chat or Adrien or Alya or Nino or… Yeah, a lot of people were taller than Mari. “I…” He floundered for an explanation for a moment before shutting his mouth tightly.

Marinette laughed. “It’s fine,” she said. “I’ve done that a few times. Though, uh, never with that level of...concentration.”

Chat flushed darker. “Sorry,” he muttered again.

Marinette bent down to start brushing up the shards of her watering can. Chat cringed in guilt.

“Sorry for that too,” he said, stepping slightly closer. “I can, uh, sweep it up for you if you want…?”

Marinette waved him off, and he stepped back quickly. “I can do it,” she said. “Also, like I said, I had my eyes on another watering can anyways.”

“An owl one?” Chat asked hesitantly.

Marinette nodded as she dumped the shards into the small trash can behind her chair. “Either that or a ladybug-themed one.”

Chat tensed slightly. “Ladybug?” he asked tightly. “I didn’t take you as a fan.”

“No, not _that_ Ladybug,” Mari said, double-checking that all the shards had been cleaned up. “Just a cute little watering can with ladybugs painted on it.” She pointed towards the school. “Over that ways, there’s a garden supply store. They sell pots, soil, seeds, watering cans, gardening tools, window boxes… All kinds of stuff!” Marinette chuckled. “I spend a _lot_ of money there, let me tell you.”

Chat seemed to relax the longer Marinette rambled. He leaned back against the railing. “Oh?”

Marinette nodded, straightening. “Yep! Alya - that’s my best friend - once got me a giftcard for that place. I hugged her so hard she almost choked.”

Chat cracked a small smile. “Really?”

“Yeah. I don’t look very strong but I assure you, I can pack a punch,” Marinette said, doing a playful one-two punch combo.

Chat laughed slightly. “That’s not how you punch.”

“I know. I used to take mixed martial arts.”

Chat blinked. “Really?”

“Yeah. I had to quit this year, though. I got...really busy.”

Chat laughed humorlessly, looking away. “Same here.”

It was silent for a moment before Marinette said quietly, “You used to work with Ladybug. What changed?”

Chat tensed, his jaw clenched tight. “I...can’t say.”

“I understand,” Marinette said, raising her hands in surrender. “I just… I’m curious.”

“I have to go,” Chat said suddenly, spinning around to jump onto the railing. “It’s late. You should go to bed, Marinette.”

Marinette paled. “H-how do you know my name…?”

“E-Evillustrator,” Chat stammered, not looking at Marinette. “...Good night!”

And with that, he was gone. Marinette rushed towards the railing to see if he'd fallen off the roof but didn’t see him anywhere. She sighed and stepped back.

“Good night,” she said quietly to the empty air.


End file.
